This paper presents a novel vision based approach for detecting rows of crop in paddy field. The precise detection of crop row enables a farm-tractor to autonomously navigate the field for successful ...inter-row weeding. While prior works on crop row detection rely primarily on various image based features, a deep neural network based approach for learning semantic graphics to directly extract the crop rows from an input image is used in this work. A deep convolutional encoder decoder network is trained to detect the crop lines using semantic graphics. The detected crop lines are then used to derive control signal for steering the tractor autonomously in the field. The results demonstrate that the proposed method is able to detect the rows of paddy accurately and enable the tractor to navigate autonomously along the crop rows even with a simple proportional only controller.
Major efforts have been devoted to the development of constructs that enable sequence-specific recognition of double-stranded (ds) DNA, fueled by the promise for enabling tools for applications in ...molecular biology, diagnostics, and medicine. Towards this end, we have previously introduced Invader probes,
, short DNA duplexes with +1 interstrand zipper arrangements of intercalator-functionalized nucleotides. The individual strands of these labile probes display high affinity towards complementary DNA (cDNA), which drives sequence-unrestricted dsDNA-recognition. However, recognition of long targets is challenging due to the high stability of the corresponding probes. To address this, we recently introduced toehold Invader probes,
, Invader probes with 5'-single-stranded overhangs. The toehold architecture allows for shorter double-stranded segments to be used, which facilitates probe dissociation and dsDNA-recognition. As an extension thereof, we here report the biophysical and dsDNA-targeting properties of nicked Invader probes. In this probe architecture, the single-stranded overhangs of toehold Invader probes are hybridized to short intercalator-modified auxiliary strands, leading to formation of additional labile segments. The extra binding potential from the auxiliary strands imparts nicked Invader probes with greater dsDNA-affinity than the corresponding toehold or blunt-ended probes. Recognition of chromosomal DNA targets, refractory to recognition by conventional Invader probes, is demonstrated for nicked Invader probes in the context of non-denaturing FISH experiments, which highlights their utility as dsDNA-targeting tools.
A
bstract
Limits on the cross section for weakly interacting massive particles (WIMPs) elastic scattering on nuclei in NaI(Tl) detectors at the Yangyang Underground Laboratory are obtained from a ...2967.4 kg·day data exposure. The nuclei recoiling from the scattering process are identified by the pulse shape of the scintillation light signals that they produce. The data are consistent with a no nuclear-recoil hypothesis, and WIMP-mass-dependent 90% confidence-level upper-limits are set on WIMP-nuclei elastic scattering cross sections. These limits partially exclude the DAMA/LIBRA allowed region for WIMP-sodium interactions with the same NaI(Tl) target material. The 90% confidence level upper limit on the WIMP-nucleon spin-independent cross section is 3.26×10
−4
pb for a WIMP mass of 10 GeV/c
2
.
Adolescents' aspirations have potential to influence their present and future well-being. Limited knowledge exists on adolescent girls' aspirations and their determinants, particularly in low-income ...contexts.
Using cross-sectional data, collected in 2018 in Nepal, within the Suaahara II Adolescent Panel Survey, (n = 840), adolescent girls' aspirations in several domains-education, occupation, marriage, fertility, health, and nutrition-were described. Regression models were estimated to explore associations between individual, household and community characteristics and these aspirations for all adolescents and separately for younger (10-14 years) and older (15-19 years) girls. Age, school attendance, and self-efficacy, as well as household wealth, caste/ethnicity, size, and agro-ecological zone of residence were significantly associated with aspirations, although effect sizes and significance varied by aspiration domain and age group.
Findings underscore the curtailing effect of poverty on aspirations and the dynamic nature of aspirations. Initiatives to foster girls' aspirations must address both individual and contextual factors.
ABSTRACT We show that the recently observed suppression of the gap between the broad-line region (BLR) and the narrow-line region (NLR) in some active galactic nuclei (AGNs) can be fully explained by ...an increase of the gas density in the emitting region. Our model predicts the formation of the intermediate-line region (ILR) that is observed in some Seyfert galaxies by the detection of emission lines with intermediate-velocity FWHM ∼ 700-1200 km s−1. These lines are believed to be originating from an ILR located somewhere between the BLR and NLR. As was previously proved, the apparent gap is assumed to be caused by the presence of dust beyond the sublimation radius. Our computations with the use of the cloudy photoionization code show that the differences in the shape of the spectral energy distribution from the central region of AGNs do not diminish the apparent gap in the line emission in those objects. A strong discontinuity in the line emission versus radius exists for all lines at the dust sublimation radius. However, increasing the gas density to ∼ cm−3 at the sublimation radius provides the continuous line emission versus radius and fully explains the recently observed lack of apparent gap in some AGNs. We show that such a high density is consistent with the density of upper layers of an accretion disk atmosphere. Therefore, the upper layers of the disk atmosphere can give rise to the formation of observed emission-line clouds.
In 1880, the Scottish surgeon Sir Alexander Ogston first described staphylococci in pus from a surgical abscess in a knee joint: “The masses looked like bunches of grapes” ...
There are handful hypothesis-driven ethnobotanical studies in Nepal. In this study, we tested the non-random medicinal plant selection hypothesis using national- and community-level datasets through ...three different types of regression: linear model with raw data, linear model with log-transformed data and negative binomial model. For each of these model, we identified over-utilized families as those with highest positive Studentized residuals and underutilized families with highest negative Studentized residuals. The national-level data were collected from online databases and available literature while the community-level data were collected from Baitadi and Darchula districts. Both dataset showed larger variance (national dataset mean 6.51 < variance 156.31, community dataset mean 1.16 < variance 2.38). All three types of regression were important to determine the medicinal plant species selection and use differences among the total plant families, although negative binomial regression was most useful. The negative binomial showed a positive nonlinear relationship between total plant family size and number of medicinal species per family for the national dataset (beta1 = 0.0160 + or - 0.0009, Z1 = 16.59, p < 0.00001, AIC1 = 1181), and with similar slope and stronger performance for the community dataset (beta2 = 0.1747 + or - 0.0199, Z2 = 8.76, p < 0.00001, AIC2 = 270.78). Moraceae and Euphorbiaceae were found over-utilized while Rosaceae, Cyperaceae and Caryophyllaceae were recorded as underutilized. As our datasets showed larger variance, negative binomial regression was found the most useful for testing non-random medicinal plant selection hypothesis. The predictions made by non-random selection of medicinal plants hypothesis holds true for community-level studies. The identification of over-utilized families is the first step toward sustainable conservation of plant resources and it provides a baseline for pharmacological research that might be leading to drug discovery.
Abstract
Blazars exhibit relentless variability across diverse spatial and temporal frequencies. The study of long- and short-term variability properties observed in the X-ray band provides insights ...into the inner workings of the central engine. In this work, we present timing and spectral analyses of the blazar 3C 273 using the X-ray observations from the XMM-Newton telescope covering the period from 2000 to 2020. The methods of timing analyses include estimation of fractional variability, long- and short-term flux distribution, rms–flux relation, and power spectral density analysis. The spectral analysis include estimating a model-independent flux hardness ratio and fitting the observations with multiplicative and additive spectral models such as
power law
,
log-parabola
,
broken power law
, and
blackbody
. The blackbody represents the thermal emission from the accretion disk, while the other models represent the possible energy distributions of the particles emitting synchrotron radiation in the jet. During the past two decades, the source flux changed by a factor of three, with a considerable fractional variability of 27%. However, the intraday variation was found to be moderate. Flux distributions of the individual observations were consistent with a normal or log-normal distribution, while the overall flux distribution including all observations appears to be rather multimodal and of a complex shape. The spectral analyses indicate that a log-parabola added to a blackbody gives the best fit for most of the observations. The results indicate a complex scenario in which the variability can be attributed to the intricate interaction between the disk/corona system and the jet.
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